Aluminum base alloys



3,387,970 ALUMHNUM BASE ALLGY Eugene Wainer, Shaker Heights, Ohio,assigner to Horizons incorporated, a corporation of New Jersey NoDrawing. Filed Sept. 7, 1965, Ser. No. 435,631 (Ilairns. (Cl. 75138)This invention relates to materials which when anodized and sealed yieldproducts having utility as architectural materials.

This invention relates to a family of aluminum base alloys which areparticularly useful as base materials to which, after anodizing, adesign, photographic image or other material may be applied, for exampleby the procedures taught in US. Patents 2,115,339; 2,126,017; 2,766,119or 3,108,932 or others of a similar nature.

The alloys of this invention consist essentially of aluminum as theprincipal constituent; between about 1% and about 4% by Weight of atleast one refractory metal selected from the group consisting of Ti, Zr,Nb, Ta, Th and mixtures thereof; and between about .01% and about 0.1%by weight of at least one precious metal selected from the groupconsisting of Ag, Au, Pd and Pt.

Preferred alloys of this invention contain about 2% of the refractorymetal constituent and about 0.1% of the precious metal constituent.

Such alloys are produced by induction melting in an argon atmosphereutilizing a zircon holding crucible. The batch mix consists of 60 partsof pure ingot aluminum, 40 parts of a 5 percent master alloy in lumpform of the binary between aluminum and the refractory metal such asniobium, tantalum, titanium, zirconium, and thorium and 01 part of thenoble metal such as silver, gold, platinum or palladium in minus 100mesh powder form. The argon melting is carried out at 1600 F. and themolten alloy maintained at this temperature for about 15 minutes, afterwhich it is maintained at room temperature. Preferably the melting isaccompanied by vigorous stirring to ensure perfect alloying. Therecovery of both aluminum and the binary aluminum master alloy isgenerally in excess of 99 percent and the recovery of the noble metal isinvariably close to 100 percent. This yields an ingot having an averageanalysis of 97.9 percent aluminum, 2.0 percent of niobium, tantalum,titanium, zirconium, or thorium and 0.1 percent of silver, gold,platinum or palladium.

The ingot is first pickled in a mixture of ferric chloride andhydrochloric acid and the concentration of the ferric chloride being 5percent by weight and the hydrochloric acid being percent by weight ofconcentrated (32 percent) HCl. Pickling is carried out at between 50 to60 C. for about 10 minutes, after which the ingot is washed in runningwater. The ingot is then rolled at 600 F. in stages down to the desiredfoil thickness, pickled for 30 seconds again in the ferricchloride/hydrochloric acid mixture, washed and finished rolled betweenpolishing rolls.

The resulting foil may be used without further treatment or it may belacquered, oiled, colored or otherwise States Patent 0 3,387,970Patented June 11, 1958 treated, e. g., by anodizing as described in myabove mentioned copending patent application.

Instead of reducing the alloys to foil they may be used in the form ofsheets or other structural shapes.

Examples of specific alloys are as follows all in percent by weight:

Having now described my invention 1 claim:

1. An aluminum base alloy consisting essentially of between about 1% andabout 4% of at least one refractory metal selected from the groupconsisting of Nb, Ta, Ti, Th and Zr and between about 0.01% and about0.1% of at least one precious metal selected from the group consistingof Ag, Au, Pd and Pt, balance substantially all Al except for incidentalimpurities.

2. An aluminum plate consisting essentially of between about 1% andabout 4% of at least one refractory metal selected from the groupconsisting of Nb, Ta, Ti, Th and Zr and between about 0.01% and about0.1% of at least one precious metal selected from the group consistingof Ag, Au, Pd and Pt, balance substantially all Al except for incidentalimpurities.

3. An aluminum foil consisting essentially of between about 1% and about4% of at least one refractory metal selected from the group consistingof Nb, Ta, Ti, Th and Zr and between about 0.01% and about 0.1% of atleast one precious metal selected from the group consisting of Ag, Au,Pd and Pt, balance substantially all Al except for incidentalimpurities.

4. An aluminum article consisting essentially of between about 1% andabout 4% of at least one refractory metal selected from the groupconsisting of Nb, Ta, Ti, Th and Zr and between about 0.01% and about0.1% of at least one precious metal selected from the group consistingof Ag, Au, Pd and Pt, balance substantially all Al except for incidentalimpurities.

5. An aluminum alloy consisting essentially of about 2% by weight of atleast one refractory metal selected from the group consisting of Nb, Ta,Ti, Th and Zr and about 0.1% by weight of at least one precious metalselected from the group consisting of Ag, Au, Pd and Pt, and the balancesubstantially all aluminum except for incidental impurities.

References (Iited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,885,286 5/1959 Weber 1382,967,351 1/1961 Roberts et al 75-138 3,147,110 9/1964 Foerster 751383,258,318 6/1966 Gruhl 75138 DAVID L. RECK, Primary Examiner.

RICHARD O. DEAN, Examiner.

1. AN ALUMINUM BASE ALLOY CONSISTING ESSENTIALLY OF BETWEEN ABOUT 1% ANDABOUT 4% OF AT LEAST ONE REFRACTORY METAL SELECTED FROM THE GROUPCONSISTING OF NB, TA, TI, TH AND ZR AND BETWEEN ABOUT 0.01% AND ABOUT0.1% OF AT LEAST ONE PRECIOUS METAL SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTINGOF AG, AU, PD AND PT, BALANCE SUBSTANTIALLY ALL AL EXCEPT FOR INCIDENTALIMPURITIES.